The posting
Operations Data Steward
The Role
Department: Financial Advisor Services (FAS) Operations Reports to: Head of FAS Operations
At Vanguard, we are committed to giving investors the best chance of investment success. The Operations Data Steward (ODS)is a first-line business role accountable for the day-to-day management, maintenance and governance of data across FAS Operations. The role ensures that operational data is accurate, complete, appropriately controlled, compliant and fit for purpose, supporting safe client outcomes, operational resilience and effective decision-making.
Reporting to the Head of FAS Operations, the role remains embedded within Operations and operates as the principal data stewardship contact for the function. It works in close partnership with operational leaders and subject-matter experts, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Privacy, Information Security and the Chief Data & Analytics Office (CDAO) to implement the European Data Governance Framework and translate enterprise standards into effective operational practice.
This is a new role within FAS Operations and there is an expectation that the successful candidate will have a high degree of personal ‘hands on’ involvement in formulating and execution of agreed data governance activities across the operational data lifecycle, including data inventory and metadata, critical data elements, lineage, data quality, retention, control evidence and remediation. The ODS will provide informed challenge, escalate material risks or non-compliance and drive issues through to sustainable closure, while business and data owners retain ultimate accountability.
In This Role You Will
Own Operational Data Governance and Data Management
- Maintain a complete and accurate inventory of structured and unstructured operational data assets, including ownership, location, classification, business purpose, criticality and lifecycle status.
- Maintain business metadata, data definitions, critical data elements, glossaries, data dictionaries and ownership records in approved governance repositories such as Collibra.
- Document and maintain end-to-end operational data lineage, process flows, source systems, hand-offs, transformations, business rules and third-party dependencies.
- Implement data governance policies, standards, processes and controls across FAS Operations, maintaining evidence that requirements are operating as intended.
- Ensure operational management information and reporting use authoritative, controlled and consistently defined data sources.
Drive Data Quality, Controls and Remediation
- Define and maintain data quality rules, thresholds and monitoring for critical operational data, aligned to business, client and regulatory requirements.
- Monitor data quality performance through dashboards and management information, identify emerging risks and provide transparent reporting to operational and data governance forums.
- Investigate data issues, perform root-cause analysis and coordinate corrective actions across Operations, Technology and third parties.
- Own data remediation plans through to closure, validate that outcomes are complete and sustainable, and escalate overdue actions, control failures or risks outside tolerance.
- Execute and evidence agreed data governance controls, support assurance and audit activity, and respond to findings within agreed timescales.
Manage Data Retention and Lifecycle
- Implement approved data retention schedules and records-management requirements across operational data assets.
- Identify data without a defined retention basis, assess business value and regulatory impact, and coordinate agreed archival, deletion, obfuscation or disposition activity.
- Maintain evidence of retention decisions and validate that lifecycle actions have been completed in line with policy, legal holds and control requirements.
- Partner with Privacy, Records Management, Information Security, Technology and third-party owners to resolve complex lifecycle and data protection issues.
Provide Operational Leadership and Governance
- Act as the primary point of contact for data governance and data quality across FAS Operations, providing clear advice, constructive challenge and timely escalation.
- Represent Operations in relevant data governance working groups and forums, present performance, risks and remediation progress, and track decisions and actions to closure.
- Work with operational leaders, data owners and subject-matter experts to clarify responsibilities and embed stewardship within day-to-day processes.
- Assess projects, process changes and new data uses for governance, quality, lineage, retention, privacy and control impacts before implementation.
Enable Insight and Continuous Improvement
- Improve the accessibility, consistency and usability of operational data while protecting its confidentiality, integrity and appropriate use.
- Develop reporting, analysis and data quality insights that support operational performance, risk management and evidence-based decisions.
- Identify opportunities to automate monitoring and controls, reduce manual workarounds, remove duplicate data and strengthen authoritative data sources.
- Promote strong data-management capability across Operations through guidance, practical training and reusable standards.
What It Takes
Required Experience and Capability
- Demonstrable experience in data stewardship, data governance, data quality, data management, operational risk or a closely related discipline.
- Practical experience maintaining data inventories, metadata, critical data elements, data definitions, ownership records and end-to-end lineage.
- Experience designing or executing data controls, investigating complex data-quality issues and driving cross-functional remediation to closure.
- Working knowledge of data lifecycle, retention, privacy, information security and records-management principles in a regulated environment.
- Strong analytical capability, including advanced Microsoft Excel and experience using data visualisation or business intelligence tools such as Power BI.
- Ability to translate technical data issues into clear business impacts, decisions and actions for senior operational stakeholders.
- Strong stakeholder management, judgement and organisation, with the confidence to challenge constructively, manage competing priorities and escalate risk.
Nice to Have
- Experience in financial services, banking, wealth management or another regulated operational environment, in particular asset management, transfer agency, ‘B2B’ distribution environment.
- Hands-on use of governance, catalogue or metadata-management tools such as Collibra or Microsoft Purview.
- Working knowledge of SQL and/or Python for data interrogation, profiling or automation.
- Knowledge of GDPR, Consumer Duty and regulatory expectations relating to data accuracy, controls, retention and operational resilience.
- Relevant professional certification or qualification in data management, governance, risk or analytics.
Special Factors
- Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position
- This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)
- Please note that we review applications on a rolling basis and may close this role early if there is a high level of interest. To avoid missing out, we recommend applying as soon as possible
Why Vanguard?
Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients.
This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments.
It's what we stand for: value to investors.
Inclusion Statement
Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”
We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.
When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
